I've been familiar with Kabbalah previously too, but I've never truly indulged into it until recently. I got a book called "The Power of Kabbalah" by Yehuda Berg from my dad for Christmas. I've read so many other books full of wisdom before about Shamanism, Wicca, Kemetism, Daoism etc etc, but right now I personally think Kabbalah is the most helpful one, at least for me.
So far, the chapters I've read from that book have helped me a lot, with each chapter it's like I become a new person because I learn and get wise and practical advise, my attitude towards people and things changes for the better. I am glad to see this myself. I've been suffering from depression for a long time and I am so thankful this book about Kabbalah had reached me. I am sure it didn't happen without a reason, I had to get it and read it.
Besides, I've always been interested in the Hebrews, I love the Hebrew language and I've always admired Hebrew names, so I'm not anti-semitic because I think it's just foolish.

Are there any other people who find Kabbalah helpful and good? And what do you think of proactivity and reactivity, how do you take it?

Blessings and Light,
~Moonchild

WarriorZhanna

January 3rd, 2007, 01:20 PM

Okay, I just noticed there is a class of teaching Kabbalah here on MW. So, I guess the name of the topic (the question) doesn't really make much sense, lol.
But anyways, as far as I know, Kabbalah is not easy to teach, interpret and read. Most of the books are written in a difficult language. So I just wanted to mention to all of you that "The Power of Kabbalah" by Y. Berg is written in a very easy way and I understand it completely. Just a few times I have to read the same sentence twice to understand it fully.

Also, I don't think I'd ever classify myself as a Kabbalist, just as I wouldn't really classify myself as a Shaman, Kemetic Pagan or anything (except for Light/Energy-based Elementalist), but I guess I'll just stay "ecclectic" somehow.. Usually, I just pick something from every religion/path/theology/philosophy because basically I've noticed that a lot of things are similar. Like they say, there is a glimpse of truth in every religion or theology, whatever you call it.

Bethra

January 3rd, 2007, 01:56 PM

Hello love and welcome to the wonderful Tree of Life. :D You made me smile in your post because I was reminded of the one book that I first connected with on this subject. It's a magic feeling when it all just clicks into place isn't it?

I was teacher of the subject here and will probably run another class down the line at some point if enough folks get interested but for now if you want to talk to someone more indepthly, and I believe that discussing the Kabbalah is one sure way to imerse yourself in the subject and find your way through it on deeper levels, well just drop me a PM and we'll sort out a chat :D

Welcome to the great paper case of life, the Tree has roots so deep it will keep you digging for a life time. :D

Silent Sundancer

January 3rd, 2007, 01:58 PM

I have heard of that book but haven't read it yet. Another friend told me about it. Kabbalah for me is something I ahve been very interested in but it is so deep that I have to study a little bit at a time and really sit down to contemplate it before I move on to the next part of my study.

WarriorZhanna

January 3rd, 2007, 03:53 PM

Hello love and welcome to the wonderful Tree of Life. :D You made me smile in your post because I was reminded of the one book that I first connected with on this subject. It's a magic feeling when it all just clicks into place isn't it?

Heheh, well I'm glad to have made you smile. :D So "The Power of Kabbalah" was the first book you read about Kabbalah too? Cool!

I was teacher of the subject here and will probably run another class down the line at some point if enough folks get interested but for now if you want to talk to someone more indepthly, and I believe that discussing the Kabbalah is one sure way to imerse yourself in the subject and find your way through it on deeper levels, well just drop me a PM and we'll sort out a chat :D

I get kinda lazy when it comes to online classes of teaching. Mostly, I just prefer like reading about a certain subject from a book instead. I guess if I have any questions, I'll PM you, or if I just feel like having a little discussion/conversation about the matter. :)
One thing I'm kinda confused about is: Kabbalists don't really believe in several gods/goddesses, do they? It doesn't sound to me like they're polytheisti/pantheistic or something. I see they just use God, and from what I've understood, it's not really the same type of God as it is in the bible, it's kinda different. I'm okay with that as it suits my beliefs, but it's just that I believe in other gods/goddesses too (for example, I actually consider Isis my mother for personal reasons, and Zeus my father). In the book it says: "Everyone's souls were part of the first, infinite, primordial Soul that shattered. Therefore, according to Kabbala, everything in the universe is imbued with is own spark of Light, its own life force. Does this mean that even inanimate objects have souls? Does a rock have a soul? The answer is yes! The only difference between the soul of a rock and the soul of a rock star is the degree and intensity of their desire to receive Light".
Now, I totally agree with that too, as it suits what I've believed previously. But if we all have souls/a spirit, then we can say so do all those mutliple gods and goddesses if they exist and I do believe they exist because I've seen them in dreams and visions, and I've also had a certain type of communication with them. Now, the God in Kabbalah is described as not Light itself, but separate from it and yet the most divine of all, the Creator. I myself wouldn't call it a God since I know there are other beings/souls/whatever you call them that are called gods and goddesses by us humans. So in that case, I've chosen to call it Love or Source of Light/Love instead. I hope I make sense, lol. :hahugh: But I assume you get what I mean. I don't expect you to agree though. :)

Welcome to the great paper case of life, the Tree has roots so deep it will keep you digging for a life time. :D

Thank you! :D

I have a question: what are your thoughts on proactivity? Before I even read this book, my mother taught me this. When I told her about some problem, she always said: "It is all a matter of how YOU react to it. It's all a question of you yourself, your behaviour and attitude towards it. If you take it negatively - you react by getting angry, upset over it, start yelling etc then you only create more negativity for yourself. If you take it in a calm way, you don't fall to the same low level as the other person and you respond in a calm way, you will see how the other person will react to it and it's amazing. Most likely that person will get even more angry (what I've noticed is that usually they do...lol), but seeing as you don't react to it, he/she either leaves it be or calms down himself/herself". But she has also told me to respect my feelings, my emotions and not press them down and deny them. Proactivity, IMO, doesn't mean denying, but simply connecting to the Light by not letting outer circumstances put you into chaos and control what you're feeling. Sometimes, it's good to let your feelings/emotions out, but I always try to express them through creative activities instead of taking it out on someone. So yeah.. Kabbalah - I find very wise to learn from. Shamanism is amazingly similar to Kabbalah in some ways, and so are some other paths.

Blessings and Light,
~Moonchild

Freyaschild

January 3rd, 2007, 03:59 PM

Hi there! I'm fairly new on the path of Kabbalah, but I was thrilled to find the Ari Institute, non profit organization that has live broadcasts and free supporting book downloads. All of their past broadcasts are archived, but tonight is a live one, the third class on Principles. Here's the link if you like to check it out, all the class info is under virtual classroom.

http://www.kabbalahlearningcenter.info/index.php

They also have a series of vids on YouTube, here's one of their intro ones.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0drT_L4G8w8

Pretty heady stuff, I'm still in mind boggle mode. :D

WarriorZhanna

January 3rd, 2007, 04:24 PM

By the way... whenever I feel shitty, I grab that book and read it. :D :fpraise:
It's amazing how it can change your life in a sense or at least the negative way of thinking many people have nowadays.. It's been so hard for me to cope with the ever-changing, modern, massive and cruel world. I used to blame either school for this or anything else that I had no control over, but deep inside I knew it was my fault I had skipped school too much and everything. I found this quote from the book: "Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself" by Leo Tolstoy - I really liked it.
When someone has asked me or my opinion about anything regarding the humans, I have always said in a half-bitterly way that IMO humans are quite selfish, primitive beings and I always stated that I disliked it. I know we all are selfish to some point, but we are also capable of being unselfish like my boyfriend had said once. But every time I answered like that, people just got angry by my answer and asked me why or how I dared to answer like that as I am a human myself. Well, the answer is simple - it's the truth, it is like that, we all know that. But of course, I am not denying the fact that humans have created so many beautiful things too like music, poetry that I admire, beautiful architecture and art, and many other things.
So, when I read the chapter about the Desire to Receive for the Self Alone, I smirked because that's what I had meant before when I answered people the way I answered.. I just never knew how to truly explain what I meant and thought. Well, now I think I do. :)
And now I also see why so many people are suffering from depression, illnesses, negativeness, jealousy and all that. They've lost the connection to the 99 percent world of Light. Often, people tend to blame others for their misery and search for things or people to blame, making them the cause for it. But hey.. if ya don't wanna suffer from it, stop being the effect of the cause. :) I never realised how simple it actually is, lol. I used to think it was hard because I'm overly sensitive/touchy, empathic, and I can have deep compassion for others, even for Saddam who had been hung, regardless of their deeds.. But I also demand justice, I tend to keep things "mutual" as in.. if I am good to someone but all that the other person still does is treating me in a way that I don't deserve, I simply shut down my "good system" and remain neutral/calm yet somehow cold/distant/quiet in conversations with that person. I know I shouldn't actually shut it down because in that way I am still resulting in being the effect. But as my mother has always said "do not let other people hurt you and your soul", I avoid things and people who intentionally try to hurt me either consciously or subconsciously. But I think it's not right to tell the child to be selfish too just because others are to protect yourself in that way.. I think it's a wrong way of teaching. My mother says: "If someone jumps out of the window, you jump too? A wise person does not follow fools but thinks with his/her own head, that is the way how you protect yourself, not by being same as others for the sake of not being ridiculed or something".
Ok, I'll shut up now, I keep rambling. But the point of what I'm trying to say is that Kabbalah completes what I've thought/believed earlier, and I'm happy with that. :hahugh: I wonder if I'm the only one though, but probably not, hehe.

Bethra

January 3rd, 2007, 04:33 PM

Heheh, well I'm glad to have made you smile. :D So "The Power of Kabbalah" was the first book you read about Kabbalah too? Cool!

No actually I came to it on a different path and I haven't actually read that book myself. Though I have had other people talk to me about it so it isn't new to me as such. The book that really made it pop into place for me was Ellen Cannon Reeds book "The Witches Qabala" and of course the fabulous Dion Fortune "Mystical Qabalah" (spelling of the word alters due to personal interpretation of vowel sounds for the most part, since there are no written vowels in Old Hebrew only the sounds) But basicaly you have to find the book that speeks to you in a language you understand. It seams you have found yours so that's briliant for getting the basic understanding going. :D

I get kinda lazy when it comes to online classes of teaching. Mostly, I just prefer like reading about a certain subject from a book instead. I guess if I have any questions, I'll PM you, or if I just feel like having a little discussion/conversation about the matter. :)

LOL I'm VERY lazy often but I always find time to study and talk with folks about the Qabalah. So feel free to carry on posting here when stuff comes to you I'll subscribe to this thread and keep an eye on it with you.

One thing I'm kinda confused about is: Kabbalists don't really believe in several gods/goddesses, do they? It doesn't sound to me like they're polytheisti/pantheistic or something. I see they just use God, and from what I've understood, it's not really the same type of God as it is in the bible, it's kinda different. I'm okay with that as it suits my beliefs, but it's just that I believe in other gods/goddesses too (for example, I actually consider Isis my mother for personal reasons, and Zeus my father). In the book it says: "Everyone's souls were part of the first, infinite, primordial Soul that shattered. Therefore, according to Kabbala, everything in the universe is imbued with is own spark of Light, its own life force. Does this mean that even inanimate objects have souls? Does a rock have a soul? The answer is yes! The only difference between the soul of a rock and the soul of a rock star is the degree and intensity of their desire to receive Light".
Now, I totally agree with that too, as it suits what I've believed previously. But if we all have souls/a spirit, then we can say so do all those mutliple gods and goddesses if they exist and I do believe they exist because I've seen them in dreams and visions, and I've also had a certain type of communication with them. Now, the God in Kabbalah is described as not Light itself, but separate from it and yet the most divine of all, the Creator. I myself wouldn't call it a God since I know there are other beings/souls/whatever you call them that are called gods and goddesses by us humans. So in that case, I've chosen to call it Love or Source of Light/Love instead. I hope I make sense, lol. :hahugh: But I assume you get what I mean. I don't expect you to agree though. :)

The Hebrew system is Monotheism and as such doesn't have pantheons or multi layers of gods and goddesses, but that's not to say that other gods and goddesses from other belief systems can not be given placement upon the Tree. If you have opportunity to read through my class archives a little you will find each sphere on the Tree has a correspondence table with it on which I have included a list of gods and goddesses from different pantheon groups. I think that might help you a little with your god/goddess management :)

Thank you! :D

I have a question: what are your thoughts on proactivity? Before I even read this book, my mother taught me this. When I told her about some problem, she always said: "It is all a matter of how YOU react to it. It's all a question of you yourself, your behaviour and attitude towards it. If you take it negatively - you react by getting angry, upset over it, start yelling etc then you only create more negativity for yourself. If you take it in a calm way, you don't fall to the same low level as the other person and you respond in a calm way, you will see how the other person will react to it and it's amazing. Most likely that person will get even more angry (what I've noticed is that usually they do...lol), but seeing as you don't react to it, he/she either leaves it be or calms down himself/herself". But she has also told me to respect my feelings, my emotions and not press them down and deny them. Proactivity, IMO, doesn't mean denying, but simply connecting to the Light by not letting outer circumstances put you into chaos and control what you're feeling. Sometimes, it's good to let your feelings/emotions out, but I always try to express them through creative activities instead of taking it out on someone. So yeah.. Kabbalah - I find very wise to learn from. Shamanism is amazingly similar to Kabbalah in some ways, and so are some other paths.

Blessings and Light,
~Moonchild

Firstly its always a pleasure for me to share the knowledge and experience I have had from working with the Qabalah so I'm always very happy to encourage people along this avenue. :)

Hmm now what you're talking about here would fall into a category of Path working in regards to the Qabalah or Sphere working depends on your focus and what elements you combine. For me it's stuff I learnt a long time ago when I first figured out I was empathic. I'm acutely aware of how my mind set and my emotions effect those I connect with since I'm acutely aware of how their mindset and emotions effect me. Being Proactive simply means actively doing something to either control your own or their state.

Example: I just joined up with the MS Society forum and spent the day reading posts from fellow sufferers on there. I spent a lot of time reading how so many people on there were so terribly afraid and scared of what the MS would do to them. So when I finally posted myself I made very sure to post in a very positive way showing no fear and putting energy and enthusiasm into my post. A zest for life as it were. :D The responses that have come back have been brilliant with many people saying my positive energy is infectious. So I actively spread a bit of the Light around to a few people who REALLY needed one. my experience in the Qabalah helped me do that and has helped me find my own light in dark places and yes to me being proactive is mostly just holding the torch for someone else who really needs the Light but can't find it on their own.

Oh and yes Shamaism fits very well with the Qabalah as do many other belief systems. :D As I said the roots go very deep on this Tree. :D If you have a thing for learning you've just set foot on a path that will feed you for a long time to come. :D

WarriorZhanna

January 3rd, 2007, 05:05 PM

No actually I came to it on a different path and I haven't actually read that book myself. Though I have had other people talk to me about it so it isn't new to me as such. The book that really made it pop into place for me was Ellen Cannon Reeds book "The Witches Qabala" and of course the fabulous Dion Fortune "Mystical Qabalah" (spelling of the word alters due to personal interpretation of vowel sounds for the most part, since there are no written vowels in Old Hebrew only the sounds) But basicaly you have to find the book that speeks to you in a language you understand. It seams you have found yours so that's briliant for getting the basic understanding going. :D

Oh, I see. lol. Well, I have seen people talking about these two books before. I'm not sure if I should buy them, I guess I first need to finish the book I'm currently reading. :D

LOL I'm VERY lazy often but I always find time to study and talk with folks about the Qabalah. So feel free to carry on posting here when stuff comes to you I'll subscribe to this thread and keep an eye on it with you.

Okay... cool. :)

The Hebrew system is Monotheism and as such doesn't have pantheons or multi layers of gods and goddesses, but that's not to say that other gods and goddesses from other belief systems can not be given placement upon the Tree. If you have opportunity to read through my class archives a little you will find each sphere on the Tree has a correspondence table with it on which I have included a list of gods and goddesses from different pantheon groups. I think that might help you a little with your god/goddess management :)

Awww... what I suspected was right then, lol. It's Monotheism then after all. But I guess in that case I won't let it disturb me, regardless of the fact that this system doesn't have pantheons or multi layers of gods and goddesses, I find it wise still and worth of studying. :)
You included a list of gods and goddesses? Great! I'll sure check em out. :D
Oh and.. also.. if I believe in gods and goddesses unlike those Jewish/Hebrew Kabbalists.. then I can't be considered a Kabbalist, can I? :whatgives Just wondering, hehe.

Hmm now what you're talking about here would fall into a category of Path working in regards to the Qabalah or Sphere working depends on your focus and what elements you combine. For me it's stuff I learnt a long time ago when I first figured out I was empathic. I'm acutely aware of how my mind set and my emotions effect those I connect with since I'm acutely aware of how their mindset and emotions effect me.

You're aware of it all? Because even if I read that book, I still find myself alot in situations where like one moment I'm happy and feel inspired and excited, and then the next moment I feel sad. And I'm like: what the ..crap? lol. :D Ah well..I guess I need to re-read the chapter where "sudden" situations and feelings are explained, lol. I think it's my biggest problem. Somehow, I know I need to learn how to be my own master, control my emotions, feelings and mind. But I do wonder how you do that when you're empathic... sometimes it feels like there's nothing I can do about it. Let me bring an example: a friend of man attacks me with insults, I have not reacted yet but that energy, those bad vibes that came from her came over to me and suddenly I feel dizzy, a bit overwhelmed but then I think "ok, just don't be reactive".. it's like.. a magnet that attracts the opposite. That bad energy that was cracking over her head like thunder (metaphorically..) came over to my head automatically just because I happen to be empathic for some reason. How do you explain this..? And how do you handle this? :(

Being Proactive simply means actively doing something to either control your own or their state.

Okay. :)

Example: I just joined up with the MS Society forum and spent the day reading posts from fellow sufferers on there. I spent a lot of time reading how so many people on there were so terribly afraid and scared of what the MS would do to them. So when I finally posted myself I made very sure to post in a very positive way showing no fear and putting energy and enthusiasm into my post. A zest for life as it were. :D The responses that have come back have been brilliant with many people saying my positive energy is infectious. So I actively spread a bit of the Light around to a few people who REALLY needed one. my experience in the Qabalah helped me do that and has helped me find my own light in dark places and yes to me being proactive is mostly just holding the torch for someone else who really needs the Light but can't find it on their own.

Yes. Just from those few posts I've read from you, I have noticed myself that you spread it around very well too. :D It's a positive thing, keep it up! *thumbs up* My mother would really approve it, lol, she thinks one should stay optimistic.. and yet again it's hard for me to stay in that mode all the time. :P

Oh and yes Shamaism fits very well with the Qabalah as do many other belief systems. :D As I said the roots go very deep on this Tree. :D If you have a thing for learning you've just set foot on a path that will feed you for a long time to come. :D

That Tree thing kinda reminded me of the Tree in Shamanism, lol. Yeah, I do have a thing for learning.. I'm the ever-curious girl known for researching stuff constantly - said to me by my bf. lol. :hahugh:

Blessings and Light,
~Moonchild

WarriorZhanna

January 3rd, 2007, 05:12 PM

Oh! One more question: do Kabbalists believe in re-incarnation? I haven't seen any mention of re-incarnation in the book yet.

P.S. I think the more I read the book, the more questions will arise in my head.. as they say, answers tend to lead to more questions. Just a little warning. 8O

Bethra

January 3rd, 2007, 09:27 PM

Oh, I see. lol. Well, I have seen people talking about these two books before. I'm not sure if I should buy them, I guess I first need to finish the book I'm currently reading. :D

Don't worry about paying for the Dion Fortune book I have it on PDF format you'll just need to download acrobat reader (its free) to read it. I'll try to attach it to this post for you. But do give serious thought to the Ellen Cannon Reed one because it's a good way to learn how to fit comparative belief systems onto the Tree.

Awww... what I suspected was right then, lol. It's Monotheism then after all. But I guess in that case I won't let it disturb me, regardless of the fact that this system doesn't have pantheons or multi layers of gods and goddesses, I find it wise still and worth of studying. :)
You included a list of gods and goddesses? Great! I'll sure check em out. :D
Oh and.. also.. if I believe in gods and goddesses unlike those Jewish/Hebrew Kabbalists.. then I can't be considered a Kabbalist, can I? :whatgives Just wondering, hehe.

Belief in other systems would not make you a true Kabbalist that is quite correct. However that would only be in the case of the original Hebrew system, the Jewish form as it were. Since the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and other non Jewish occult groups got hold of the Kabbalah system it has morphed somewhat. It is no longer simply a system of belief but can be a map that you can apply to other systems including magic of course. In this day and age there is absolutely no reason why you can't be a Shaman who studies the Kabbalah. As you go deeper into it you will find your own correspondences. Remember that the Kabbalah is essentially a Tree of Life and as such that goes out to all life. There isn't much you can't fit on to it and it just keeps on growing.

You're aware of it all? Because even if I read that book, I still find myself alot in situations where like one moment I'm happy and feel inspired and excited, and then the next moment I feel sad. And I'm like: what the ..crap? lol. :D Ah well..I guess I need to re-read the chapter where "sudden" situations and feelings are explained, lol. I think it's my biggest problem. Somehow, I know I need to learn how to be my own master, control my emotions, feelings and mind. But I do wonder how you do that when you're empathic... sometimes it feels like there's nothing I can do about it. Let me bring an example: a friend of man attacks me with insults, I have not reacted yet but that energy, those bad vibes that came from her came over to me and suddenly I feel dizzy, a bit overwhelmed but then I think "ok, just don't be reactive".. it's like.. a magnet that attracts the opposite. That bad energy that was cracking over her head like thunder (metaphorically..) came over to my head automatically just because I happen to be empathic for some reason. How do you explain this..? And how do you handle this? :(

One word SHIELDING. Get yourself over to the Empathic Bunker in Healing and Reiki and have a chat with some of the other empaths there. You need to find a shield that works for you and there are a whole bunch of different empaths in there with their own version of shields who can help you work out one that might work for you.

Yes. Just from those few posts I've read from you, I have noticed myself that you spread it around very well too. :D It's a positive thing, keep it up! *thumbs up* My mother would really approve it, lol, she thinks one should stay optimistic.. and yet again it's hard for me to stay in that mode all the time. :P

I like the sound of your mother she sounds like a Bethra sort of person to me. She's quite right optimistic people are on the whole a lot happier bunch than most. I'm the eternal optermist when things are bad I always try to think "well it could be much much worse" :D

That Tree thing kinda reminded me of the Tree in Shamanism, lol. Yeah, I do have a thing for learning.. I'm the ever-curious girl known for researching stuff constantly - said to me by my bf. lol. :hahugh:

Blessings and Light,
~Moonchild

Well study the Tree of Life and see how you would go about fitting the Shamanic Tree onto it I'm sure you'll find it fits in place rather well :) I'll be very interested in your discoveries because I love digging into the roots to try and see how far they go. I have links for the Norse belief system and links for the Egyptians amongst other things. I'm currently trying to fit Aztec and a whole bunch of other belief systems that had Trees in them onto the system so yes please keep me informed on the Shaman side of it :D

Oh! One more question: do Kabbalists believe in re-incarnation? I haven't seen any mention of re-incarnation in the book yet.

P.S. I think the more I read the book, the more questions will arise in my head.. as they say, answers tend to lead to more questions. Just a little warning.

Hmm trad Hebrews didn't believe in Re-incarnation no. They believed in you're own splinter of the Light rejoining the source after death. From this came the later belief of the Christian heaven. As I said though I believe in the system as ever evolving and as such I don't see any reason why we can't go on to say that maybe some souls come back or maybe they group up at the source then splinter off again to create new life so rather than being one soul always you would be an amalgamation of splinters of different souls. Umm I don't know how clear that is I might have to explain that better for you so ask if needs be.

Don't ever be afraid to ask :) There is no ignorance in asking. Feed that fabulous brain you have and keep asking questions
*chuckles* Have you done your numerology at all? I bet you're a 7 LOL. we 7's always have questions which lead to other questions :D

WarriorZhanna

January 4th, 2007, 01:18 PM

Don't worry about paying for the Dion Fortune book I have it on PDF format you'll just need to download acrobat reader (its free) to read it. I'll try to attach it to this post for you. But do give serious thought to the Ellen Cannon Reed one because it's a good way to learn how to fit comparative belief systems onto the Tree.

Oooh thank you so much!! :hugz: :D :boing: :) That's so kind of you. My dad will sure be happy about this since he studies Kabbalah too. Can't wait to tell him about this! hehe

Belief in other systems would not make you a true Kabbalist that is quite correct. However that would only be in the case of the original Hebrew system, the Jewish form as it were. Since the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and other non Jewish occult groups got hold of the Kabbalah system it has morphed somewhat. It is no longer simply a system of belief but can be a map that you can apply to other systems including magic of course.

Hmm.. yeah I just remembered I had another book about Kabbalah here. But it's more of the "magic" Kabbalah, not the text/literature one. That book is called "Modern Magic" or something (the original title is not written in the book, so I just translated literally) by Donald Michael Kraig. I remember I read it once and kinda liked it but I wasn't satisfied with the fact that in many of the rituals I have to pronounce out loudly God's name (but you know I believe in several gods and goddesses) and I didn't feel like worshipping God, but it would be weird to change the name of God too to something else since it's in Hebrew language.. but oh well. Kinda complicated. But still, it's good, I was satisfied with the rest.

In this day and age there is absolutely no reason why you can't be a Shaman who studies the Kabbalah.

heh.. yeah, I figured. :hahugh:

As you go deeper into it you will find your own correspondences. Remember that the Kabbalah is essentially a Tree of Life and as such that goes out to all life. There isn't much you can't fit on to it and it just keeps on growing.

Mostly, I've realised my own mistakes, what I've done wrong so far and what I need to change about myself. What I firstly need to change is my bad trait to procrastinate all the time and be lazy, lol. Second, take responsibility and not blame others. Third - RESISTANCE. lol. Oh and I found Tikun very interesting too.

One word SHIELDING. Get yourself over to the Empathic Bunker in Healing and Reiki and have a chat with some of the other empaths there. You need to find a shield that works for you and there are a whole bunch of different empaths in there with their own version of shields who can help you work out one that might work for you.

I have posted there before. Mostly, I just told them my story, but they didn't really suggest me any method and I didn't ask them to do so either. I guess I just need to get my lazy ass back over there and ask for their opinion or something. :)

I like the sound of your mother she sounds like a Bethra sort of person to me. She's quite right optimistic people are on the whole a lot happier bunch than most. I'm the eternal optermist when things are bad I always try to think "well it could be much much worse" :D

LOL! :yayah: Yeah, well I agree. Optimistic persons rock! :lol: But it's weird, my mum's in a bad mood all the time and she keeps whining and blaming others herself... and then when I just complain about something to her she tells me to shut up and get over it and not whine so much, etc etc. It's a bit annoying to be honest. So I've just stopped telling her things, I don't need her to piss me off again.

Well study the Tree of Life and see how you would go about fitting the Shamanic Tree onto it I'm sure you'll find it fits in place rather well :) I'll be very interested in your discoveries because I love digging into the roots to try and see how far they go. I have links for the Norse belief system and links for the Egyptians amongst other things. I'm currently trying to fit Aztec and a whole bunch of other belief systems that had Trees in them onto the system so yes please keep me informed on the Shaman side of it :D

heheh..well first I need to finish my book! =P lol cuz at the moment, I don't really understand much about the Kabbalistic Tree, all I know is that these are 6 dimensions and that 4 of these are the ones of our world and the rest is Light or something. That's all. But I noticed that there is much more about the Tree in that other book I have. But I'll surely keep ya informed about the Shaman side of it.... once I get there! :P lol

Hmm trad Hebrews didn't believe in Re-incarnation no. They believed in you're own splinter of the Light rejoining the source after death. From this came the later belief of the Christian heaven. As I said though I believe in the system as ever evolving and as such I don't see any reason why we can't go on to say that maybe some souls come back or maybe they group up at the source then splinter off again to create new life so rather than being one soul always you would be an amalgamation of splinters of different souls. Umm I don't know how clear that is I might have to explain that better for you so ask if needs be.

Hmm... strange cuz after I had posted my question, I took my book again and continued reading it and it did mention re-incarnation. And from what was written there, it seemed to me like the author of the book himself believed in incarnation or something like that.
lol, I laughed when I read this: "Spirituality, according to Kabbalah, is not about trekking up a mountain to communicate with God and nature while meditating alongside a clear stream as the birds sing the beauty of the world. That makes for a poetic scene, but it is not the purpose of our lives. Nor is divorcing ourselves from the physical world, secluding ourselves up on a mountaintop contemplating the majesty of nature. According to Kabbalah, these are not effective ways to achieve spiritual growth. We came down from the mountain, so to speak, to enter the world of chaos, hardship, turmoil and burden so we could confront the triggers that ignite reactions. Each trigger gives us the oppurtunity to transform our reactive behaviour and become the cause of our fulfillment. Transformation. That's how we rebuild the puzzle of creation". The part about the mountaintop made me laugh, it was written in a funny way. 8O And I totally agree with it. I think it's pointless to be a guru, lol.
I also found the Coping/Suppressing vs. Resitance part interesting since I've been wondering how you cope with it if you have to resist it and is it the same thing as supressing..will it supress your feelings and what you wanted to express or say to that person? I still need to figure that one out, it's like one chapter of it wasn't enough, lol. I need more text to explain it to me. :lol:

Don't ever be afraid to ask :) There is no ignorance in asking. Feed that fabulous brain you have and keep asking questions
*chuckles* Have you done your numerology at all? I bet you're a 7 LOL. we 7's always have questions which lead to other questions :D

Yeah, I've done numerology and plenty of other mystical things too.. lol. I always try everything unless it's Satanism or blowing yourself up or something LOL. But nope, I'm not 7, I'm number 5 which means Freedom..and that means (according to what my mum said) my task in this life is to learn how to handle the freedom I get. I guess she's right cuz I do have a hard time planning my free-time so that I don't procrastinate. :hahugh:
But I think that's not the case really.. I think the reason why I ask a lot and am curious about everything is because it's just what my astrological so-called profile is. I'm really analytical and of a researcher-type person, hehe.

Hey, I've heard about some red string thing that people who study Kabbalah wear. What's that and what's the point of it? Cuz I think I might get one too, we have lots of new age shops here and I'm quite proud of my decision to study Kabbalah. :D

Bethra

January 13th, 2007, 08:41 AM

The red string comes as part of the Kabbalah group Madonna got into. I'm not sure to be honest what it's all about other than a string to their bank account for the group to follow and dip into whenever they want more money for one of their cookey marketing plans.

I laughed at the Guru part, I have my own little jewel of amusment with that part lol. My soul brother once told me I was a bright light and that moths would come and flock around me. I suddered at the very thought and returned the comment of "Umm no thanks brother dear thats the path of cults and madness and I'm not wanting to end up in any Waco sinariose thank you". LOL The Tree is all about balance and how to develope yourself to experiance all you are capable of. To find the higher self is grand but it's what you do with it after that matters. There would be intense pleasure to be gained sitting on a hill top communing with the God head but so much more pleasure and so much more to experiance by going back down and sharing it all with people. Moses spent his time up a mountain but he came back down, Jeus spent his time in the willderness but he came back to the world. I'll enlightenment comes with a cost, you can achieve it and it is a fabulous gift but you must pay it back and for the most part that involves (for me anyway) getting the word out there and teaching others what I have learnt. :D

morganxpage

January 15th, 2007, 10:43 PM

I am a Chicken Qabalist! :lol:

Xander67

January 15th, 2007, 11:13 PM

Rabbi Berg is a good teacher,
I have one of his dvd's

Qaballa,(kaballa) is like a puzzle, you have to find the pieces and fit them all together... soo much to learn... I am still learning, so many texts to read..

Let me know what you think. I'd like to continue a dialogue on these after I watch more.

I got a book from dad called "Kabbalah Revealed", unfortunately I lost it though. =( But anyways, as much as I remember from the book it was awesome. I highly recommend it to those who know the basic Kabbalah stuff but just want to delve deeper into it. It's kinda like "The Power of Kabbalah" by Rav Berg except it's a lot more detailed.

Teresa

October 9th, 2007, 02:34 PM

I am familar with it as it influenced my tradition and it facinates me. I love exploring deeper into studying this at my leisure.

Eric Orion

October 19th, 2007, 05:35 PM

Greetings everyone,
I began studying the mystical Qabalah and traditional Kabbalah when I was thirteen, twenty-four years ago. I cannot imagine life without this path. It's made me a better person. It gives me comfort and hope. I really cannot say enough about it.
Well, actually I should point out two things. First is that it is possible to have some very bad spiritual experiences through it. I did, but I was probably far too young to begin studying it and there is a traditional minimum age of 40 for those who wish to study Kabbalah. I think this allows a person to have enough wisdom and grounding to reach such spiritual heights without encountering any pitfalls.
Second is that currently and for the past few years, I've received a different sort of qabalistic knowledge. I don't practice the qabalah familiar to most people anymore. Instead of the tree of life, we use the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. This has twelve sephiroth that correspond to the twelve astrological bodies. The outer sephiroth correspond to various forms of 'pagan' entities while the middle pillar matches with the four chief names of G-d. Since these sephiroth are astrological energies, this Tree is a map of your soul--called your natal chart in astrology. The point of working with this tree, then is to work with your soul.
Most everyone is born out of balance. Some people are too emotional. Some are not emotional enough. Some think too much. Some can't keep a good and lasting relationship. This is all caused by imbalance in the Tree of Knowledge. Some sephira may be weak and some may be too strong. Through certain rituals, these imbalances become righted.
I've seen a lot of good come out of this practice, so I wrote a book about it. I've heard that the Kabbalah is personal for everyone, like there is a unique version for each person, and maybe that's true. Whatever form it takes for you, it will enrich your life.

Branwen_Yr_Hardd

October 19th, 2007, 10:48 PM

I would totally agree with Eric's closing statement in the above post. I believe it is true that true and deep study of the Qabbalah will indeed lead you to finding your own personal variation of it. While there are many factors in this world that are ridged and structured the Qabbalah keeps on growing. Tree of Life, Tree of Knowledge, the World Tree, call it what you will. it's roots reach down through the ages to the dawning of the universe and it's branches reach through everyone of it's students throughout future aeons. The fruits of the tree enrich us all.

Hawk_of_Dawn

October 23rd, 2007, 02:22 PM

Eric Orion - I find your concept of working with the Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil to be very interesting. If you could give further info, or a link to your book, I would appreciate it.

As for Kab/Qab - allah, I've been into it off and on for about 15 years, 1st with an established "Order" and then as a solitary. I find it difficult to work with traditional hermetic qabalah, using the traditional Godnames and Archangel/Angel attributes, and yet also keep to a path of eclectic and often pagan practice as well. Once strikes me as being monotheistic and the other, polytheistic. Add to this the mix of the Enochian spirits, and Eastern disciplines, and you end up with quite a stew. Want to complicate it further....add a splash of Gnosticism. It can be a struggle, but I manage...

Recently become even more intent of somehow fusing it all together into a cohesive "whole" without degenerating into a Chaos paradigm and let most of it fall by the wayside, thus learning the truth in the saying "some things cannot be left unfinished."

As an aside, The Kabbalah Institute's series of publications, particularly "The Power of Kabbalah" by Yehudi Berg, are excellent and practical volumes for those who want to make a practice of basic Kabbalah without doing decades of study. They represent a fully functional and effectively working model of spirituality for those less magickally-inclined and for those who have years of study, they present a new way of looking at a vastly complicated subject.

HoD

Eric Orion

October 23rd, 2007, 05:07 PM

HoD,
Thanks for asking about it. My book is called Quantum Qabala. We had a website, but we are currently redoing it. You can find out a little about it at the Amazon page (search for Quantum Qabala) or my MySpace page (look for ericorion). I see that there have also been discussions on it here at MW, if you want to take a look here first. If you like I can email you (and anyone else interested) the first chapter of the book. It doesn't talk about the Tree, but it does share some wondrous tidbits about this reality in which we live. I use this chapter to show that reality isn't what our senses perceive it to be. Once this knowledge is gained and accepted, it can be used as a springboard to alter our reality through the practice of "magick". I detail in my book that we are not actually manipulating reality with magick, but rather, we are choosing our reality with it. Working with the Tree of KoGE allows such a conscious process in a safe manner. I do not go into too much detail about this Tree in the book. I just give the basics-enough for someone already versed in occult studies to figure out for themselves. I merely tell of the sephiroth and how they correspond with 12 astrological bodies, 13 astrological signs, the Tarot, and various godforms. Although I do provide some rituals tailored to the Tree, someone with a qabalistic background should probably know what the Tree can truly do.
It is great that you incorperate so much into your practice. Everything that enters your life is a part of your reality and will fit together just for you. My book has been blasted by more traditional people as not being qabala because it has a different tree, it works with pagan deities, it relies too much on astrology, it is "chicken qabala", or whatever. The results speak far louder than the critics.

_whistle_ SHAMELESS PLUG: I occasionally sell signed copies on Ebay for prices cheaper than Amazon. Check out the info and reviews there.